The present invention relates to an electronic device such as a network connected printer and a method of information acquisition to update information for controlling basic device operation.
In other words, the invention relates to an apparatus and a method by which a network-connected device such as a printer can be operated to initiate downloading and updating of basic control information such as printer drivers, printing font and the like (referred to generally herein as xe2x80x9cprinter utilitiesxe2x80x9d).
Conventionally, network printers provide job processing information such as job ending time and queue time and the like for one who demands a printing operation. There is an example of a conventional network connecting printer device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-76155.
A conventional printer device disclosed in this Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication will be described by using FIG. 10. If a job programmed in an operation display section 101 or a job sent from a network client is added to a printing queue 116, a job processing time and a job ending time required for printing is calculated in a main processor section 114 on the basis of a job programming condition, the number of document image pages and data compression rate information of each page. If a job is sent from the printing queue 116 to a printing outputting section 105, a printing processor section 118 updates printing ending time of the job within the printing queue 116. Since a queue time until printing ending of each job resulting from these calculations is displayed on the display section 101, one who demands printing can be advised the time when the job will be completed on the spot or by telephone contact.
Moreover, as other examples of network connecting printer devices, the followings are known.
A printer device connected to a network disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-121322 is characterized in that it acquires static performance information (e.g.; resolution, sheet size, color available or color not available or the like) indicating attribute information of the printer device and dynamic performance information (e.g.; priming queue job information within queue of the printer device or the like) from a plurality of printer devices on the network and only demand for printing from a user makes the desired printer device automatically chosen by a host computer (workstation) perform a printing.
A printer device connecting to a network disclosed in Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-334323 is characterized in that a printing server is provided with the means for transmitting various kinds of function setting files to a printer device to change settings.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-328781, a workstation on a network controls a printer device connected on the network. Moreover, as control information, there are information indicating printing setting for printing processing, selection items and operation circumstances at present and the like.
A network printer device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-6557 is characterized in that it can change from a printer device for outputting to another printer device for outputting through a simple operation on a display of a workstation demanding printing in order to determine a plurality of printer devices for outputting connected on the network. More particularly, it has the means for ascertaining composition of a printer device that a user desires and determining a printer device by acquiring a printing indication setting information from a plurality of printer devices on the network and displaying printing indication operation panel on the display of the workstation. Furthermore, a corresponding printer driver on the side of workstation is selected in accordance with the selected printer device for outputting and printing data is transferred to the printer device.
A network printer device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-114615 is characterized in that it has communicating means for verifying functions that a plurality of printer devices connected on the network have. More particularly, printer device internally maintains function information in advance, sends back internally maintained information responding to a demand for an information from a host device. The host device selects a printer device by analyzing received information.
However, all of these conventional network printer devices perform selecting and controlling printing means and printing methods or printer devices for outputting. Conventionally, network printer devices having self-control of printer utilities were not known. In other words, while it was known to make printer utilities available on a network for downloading, network printers have not been able to independently initiate an online search for downloadable information such as updated drivers, printer fonts etc. or other information to support printer operation. Thus, there were problems in conventional network printer devices indicated as follows.
Firstly, a problem is that there is no means for automatically acquiring updated printer utilities. The reason is that it has been necessary for an administrator to consciously make some effort to learn of updated printer utilities.
Secondly, another problem is that printers have only had display sections as a means for reporting to the administrator that printer utilities have been updated. The reason why is that a printer device has no means for transmitting information by itself to the administrator.
An objective of the present invention is to solve these problems before mentioned.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide for automatic acquisition by a printer of updated printer utilities and reporting of the update to the administrator. Another objective of the present invention is to automatically acquire updated printer utilities by a printer itself.
The present invention is an electronic device such as a network printer which is capable of independently connecting to a network to access a network server and to search for and download updated printer utilities from the server.
Moreover, the objective above described is achieved by providing a communicators"" address table into which communication address information (i.e., addresses of network servers from which updated printer utilities can be downloaded), is entered, a setting memory section in which update verification cycle information (which specifies how frequently the system checks the network servers to determine if updated utilities are available) is entered, a network access control section controlling accesses between the network and the present invention, an updating information control section that communicates with the network servers and checks for and downloads updated utilities, if available, on the basis of the verification cycle information stored in the setting memory section.
Moreover, the present invention is an electronic device such as a network printer capable of connecting to a remote network server, and the present invention is applied to a method of information acquisition by the printer of utilities which are maintained in the server for downloading.
Furthermore, the objective above described is achieved by downloading printer utility updates whenever it is determined that updates are available, as well as through communication with the network servers on the basis of verification cycle information.